"It's with great pleasure that we announce David's promotion to CEO," said Platshon. "Zing has arrived as the clear winner in online photography by acquiring a large, active audience and key partnerships with device manufacturers. David has demonstrated the ability to maximize commerce and sponsorship revenue generated from this Network."

"This is a natural progression and focuses us on opportunities that we believe are critical to our continued success," said Ezequelle. "Our recent partnerships with device manufacturers including Hewlett Packard, Konica and Sony, have attracted the attention of other industry leaders who have expressed increased interest in working with Zing Network on a wide range of efforts around the world. As Chairman, Mark is able to focus on our 'big-picture' strategy and vision."

"OmniVision's charter is to deliver low-cost camera technology to the general public," said Hank O'Hara, vice president of worldwide sales for OmniVision. "With our new dual-mode digital camera chip-set, we are providing an affordable way by which consumers can capture, store and manipulate images from remote locations. This technology paves the way for exciting new applications in consumer products."

"I can see Iomega selling quite a few of these devices. It is handy and quite easy to learn how to use. For those with a limited number of flash memory cards it could be a real Godsend on a vacation. It also gives you a way to enjoy the day's photos on the TV set at the hotel. "

Sunday, October 29, 2000

Saturday, October 28, 2000

"I'm still going to be updating this conclusion text over the next week or so but rest assured that I am very positive about this camera. With the D30 now showing up (in limited quantity) at the dealers I felt the need to get as much of this information out to the buying public as quickly as possible. I really don't like concluding a review of a camera this feature-rich after having only used it for just a week. If it gives you an idea of how much I like the D30, I will probably be buying one for myself shortly."

Friday, October 27, 2000

"The launch of Photovista 3D Objects, Photovista Virtual Tour and the Web Tools site to compliment the Photovista family of tools is another step in MGI's goal to make 'immersive' images commonplace on the Web," said Andrew Jackson, MGI vice president e-Commerce Imaging and Corporate Marketing. "We look forward to Web developers and interested parties coming to the site to showcase, share and learn about 'immersive' content, drawing the interest of the greater Web community."

Thursday, October 26, 2000

"The Panasonic PalmCam PV-SD5000 is a camera with a lot of promise when you look at the specs. But unfortunately, it doesn't deliver on those promises. The slow processing speeds, clunky interface, and poor photo quality leads me to believe this is a camera you should steer clear of. For the whopping price of $1099, you can do much better with [another camera]."

"Faster communication technologies coupled with increasing affordability will bolster the flash card market," said Xavier Pucel, manager for IDC's Semiconductor research program. "Users needing a way to store, archive, transport, and easily transfer content from the Web will drive flash card volume, which in turn will reduce costs."

"The trend toward the Internet will not only bring Internet access to PC peripherals like digital cameras, music players, and handhelds, but will also drive new applications and products," Pucel said. "As products connect to the Internet independently of the PC, the market will expand to non-PC owners, driving demand for removable storage."

"The programmability and processing power of TI DSPs are immense contributors to the price/performance benchmark we're setting with the HP PhotoSmart 315 digital camera," said Dean Anderson, research and development program manager at Hewlett-Packard Company. "This camera delivers 2.1-megapixel resolution at a substantially lower price than its competitors, its shot-to-shot delay is dramatically reduced, and image preview on its 1.8-inch color LCD is faster at high resolutions."

"This fully programmable, high-performance DSP solution from Texas Instruments enables our customers to produce photo-realistic images by implementing the latest advances in image processing in DSP software," said Dr. Raj Talluri, chief executive officer of the Digital Still Camera Business Unit at Texas Instruments. "The programmability of the DSC21 also translates to significant reductions in development time and costs for our customers."

"PhotoWorks and AmericanGreetings.com are experts in delivering highly personalized experiences on the Internet, and working with AmericanGreetings.com is a positive development for our service. This brings together two categories -- online greetings and digital photography -- that have seen immense growth in users," said Gary Christophersen, PhotoWorks President and CEO. "Now consumers will be able to easily include their most recent vacation pictures, photographs of their kids in Halloween costumes, or any favorite snapshots from their PhotoWorks archive in the electronic greetings."

"PhotoModeler Pro 4.0 is a major release for both new and existing customers," says Alan Walford, President of Eos Systems. "PhotoModeler Pro 4.0 contains many advanced features that were developed based on customer wishes. In addition, existing features have been enhanced and improved to make PhotoModeler even more accurate, efficient and easy to use."

Wednesday, October 25, 2000

Tuesday, October 24, 2000

"ArcSoft understands and appreciates Apple's commitment to developing an intuitive, creative atmosphere for computer users," said Todd Rumaner, Vice President of Marketing and Business Development at ArcSoft. "We hope to expand the user's experience of the Mac platform through ArcSoft's easy-to-use, yet technologically comprehensive imaging programs for the Mac-enthusiast. PhotoPrinter Pro and Panorama Maker offer both the novice and the more experienced photographer the best tools available to get the most out of their digital images."

"edu.com is the only online company to serve, and have the ability to poll, a 100 percent verified student-only audience," says Don LeBlanc, vice president of Customer Insight at edu.com. "At edu.com we verify each customer who registers to ensure that he/she is indeed a college student and deserving of the big discounts we have negotiated on their behalf. Limiting our audience to college students and continually querying their interests, enables edu.com to accurately determine what products and services they need and value most."

"The changes in usage behavior indicated by this study are pretty dramatic," comments Ed Lee, director of Lyra's Digital Photography Advisory Service. "This is a trend that bears further monitoring and longitudinal research. If the trend continues, it could spell very bad news for film manufacturers."

"The 50+ crowd is the fastest growing demographic on the Web," said Brian Acrish, Co-founder of GenerationA.com. "Ememories.com's on-line photo albums, processing and personalized merchandise are perfect for this emerging group. This partnership is a major step in fulfilling our mission to introduce our members to the many benefits of the Internet."

"We are constantly looking for new ways to bring ememories.com services to new groups," said Tim Kilpin, CEO of ememories.com. "The goal for the partnership with GenerationA.com is to position us as the premier source of online photo services for Americans 50+."

Monday, October 23, 2000

"[The] PowerShot G1 takes care of a lot of issues that I had with the Coolpix 990, such as sound with movies, CompactFlash Type II support, and a hot shoe. Plus it adds the very handy swiveling LCD! This one would definitely be one of the finalists if I was camera shopping, and its very much worth your time to consider it!"

Thursday, October 19, 2000

"The success of Snapfish's unique 'Point-of-Picture' strategy depends on building a network of great partners with similar customer bases, and allowing those partners to offer our value proposition to their customers," said Raj Kapoor, CEO and co-founder of Snapfish. "As the first online photo processor to partner with an airline like Delta Express, Snapfish affirms its position as the fastest growing, most innovative company in the space."

"Delta Express is committed to offering its customers value," said Carmine Testa, General Manager-Delta Express. "Our partnership with Snapfish enables us to offer price-conscious travelers a way to save money on film processing in addition to saving money with our low fares."

Wednesday, October 18, 2000

"With its new design and functionality, the FinePix 4900 ZOOM represents a significant addition to Fujifilm's line of digital cameras, building upon the legacy started by the MX-2900," said Darin Pepple, Product Manager, Consumer Digital Products, Fuji Photo Film U.S.A., Inc. "By taking the most popular aspects of the MX-2900 and adding a number of new features such as Super CCD, the FinePix 4900 ZOOM should garner a lot of attention among photographers. Also, those looking to post clear Web photos or create nice, sharp prints will be pleased with this camera."

"Through three quarters, our business is healthy. Sales are up 5% on a comparable basis versus last year and operating profits up 26%. This clearly reflects our success in revitalizing instant camera and film growth and profitability," he said.

In discussing one of the hybrid products, the Polaroid P-500 Digital Photo Printer, DiCamillo said, "We are very encouraged by early market reception of our digital picture printer - a wireless, instant photo printer that uses the compact flash from any digital camera. It instantly prints Polaroid photos in less than 15 seconds at the touch of a button and is being shipped late this quarter. The explosion of the digital imaging category and early success of Polaroid's digital hybrid products give me reason for excitement next year."

This must be "Olympus Week" - Two reviews in two days of Olympus cameras. Today's is the aptly named C-2100 UltraZoom, with a 10x optical zoom lens, 2 megapixels worth of CCD, an eyelevel viewfinder that we object to on philosophical grounds, but which is actually usable to dimmer levels than we've seen in the past. (Still doesn't go down *nearly* as dark as the camera can take a picture at though, as the 2100 is a superb low-light performer.) Overall, a very interesting camera, great lens, great picture quality, all the exposure-control bells and whistles you could want. Very nice! (We do admit to a bit of a personal long-zoom fetish though.) Read the review for all the details!
Source: IR review of C-2100 UltraZoom

Tuesday, October 17, 2000

Wow! This is probably one of the most-awaited reviews we've had in a while, so we put some extra effort into extracting a number of technical details on the camera: We had a bit over a week with a preproduction model of it, and were very impressed. This is a very interesting unit, both for its capabilities (a full 4 megapixel CCD, simultaneous optical SLR viewfinder & live LCD viewfinder, excellent exposure controls, and incredible low light capability) and for its price ($1,999 US at introduction). While it doesn't support interchangeable lenses like some other SLR digicams, there are in fact some advantages to that fact. It's 4x optical zoom may be enough for many users, and Olympus has an interesting collection of front-element accessory lenses for it, covering an equivalent focal length range of 28mm to 420mm(!). Finally its $1,999 launch price puts it $1,500 or so below its nearest competitor (the Canon D30), even though the E-10's price includes the cost of the lens. A very interesting unit, and be sure to check out the moonlight pictures we shot with it! Read the review for all the details!
Source: IR Review of E-10 Pro SLR

DPReview posts Fuji FinePix 4900Z review!
By Michael Tomkins, The Imaging Resource
(Tuesday, October 17, 2000 - 16:33 EDT)

"Fujifilm's 4900Z is a vast improvement over last year's 2900Z, a more advanced design, higher resolution, more manual controls (the majority of which accessable from the outside of the camera). The 4900Z is also surprisingly compact and light (indeed it's light weight may be one of it's greatest assets). The 4900Z is also very fast, with preview mode switched off you can click-click-click the images without any discernible delay, and in continuous mode it produced some of the fastest shooting we've seen this side of a digital SLR (if only for 5 frames)."

"The flexibility of the Digita scripting environment allows us to store GPS data plus additional information that enables GPS differential post-processing for greatly improved positional accuracy," said Ken Burgess, Vice President of Research and Development at Red Hen Systems. "We can also store information about the camera's direction of view from a digital compass, and range data from a laser rangefinder, along with each image."

"The merging of GPS data and digital photography is made possible by the Digita OS," said Stephen Saylor, President of FlashPoint. "The power of Digita is its speed and flexibility. People can tailor applications to meet specific needs, and that includes building solutions for commercial markets."

"As with all photography, people want to be able to view their pictures right away, and they want to be able to share them with their family and friends," said Bruce Albertson, president and CEO, Iomega Corporation. "FotoShow makes it easier than ever for them to do that in the comfort of their family room and without the use of a computer. In commercial applications, we also see the FotoShow player as a natural imaging tool for real estate offices and the insurance industry, and we're excited about its prospects in hotels and in other high-traffic tourism settings."

"It's been very rewarding to partner with Iomega to produce a product that fills such a distinct consumer need - the desire to quickly and easily share digital photos with groups of family and friends," said Bill McCoy, president and CEO, PictureIQ Corporation. "Our expertise in developing embedded digital photography software enabled PictureIQ to meet the FotoShow player's aggressive development schedule. We're very pleased to have helped Iomega get this breakthrough product into the hands of consumers in time for the holiday buying season."

Monday, October 16, 2000

"The Sony Cyber-shot DSC-P1 is what I'd call an "advanced point-and-shoot" camera. It's very good at the basics, and it has some features found on more "prosumer" cameras such as uncompressed TIFF mode. But it lacks the real "pro" features like full exposure control. With this in mind, the DSC-P1 is a great camera, and it's aimed squarely at people who were looking at Canon's PowerShot line. In terms of size, the PowerShot Digital ELPH is the winner. For storage capacity, I'd give the nod to the PowerShot S10/S20. For overall features, the DSC-P1 is the winner -- there's a few things that I don't like, but I really enjoyed using it, and would recommend it to anyone who wants a compact point-and-shoot camera."

"The Canon PowerShot G1 is a very good contender in the current crop of semi-pro three megapixel cameras. Those who wanted the image size, camera features and speed of the Nikon 990 but with CompactFlash II (Microdrive) support, a more conventional designed body and a flash hot shoe will love the G1. Battery life is excellent even when using the color LCD. The G1 performs admirably as an easy to use "Automatic" camera and has more than enough real camera features to thrill even the most jaded digicam user. It's not going to fit in your pocket but you can hang it around your neck and carry it with you all day without fatigue. If you're looking for the ultimate "tourist" camera then think Canon G1 + 1GB Microdrive."

Saturday, October 14, 2000

"If you're looking for an inconspicuous camera the F505V isn't for you. I often had people staring at me when they saw me holding it out like a raygun from the Star Wars movies. The "fit and finish" of the F505V is excellent, the body and lens is metal construction and seems very durable. The F505 takes great pictures but even with its hybrid LCD viewfinder it is not that easy to use this camera outdoors. If the sun is shining directly on the LCD it works great but in most cases you are usually somewhere between bright sunlight and shade. The high res JPEGs from the F505V are marvelous, well saturated and properly white balanced with very little (almost no) chromatic abberations and they are sharp as a tack thanks to that Zeiss lens.

If you can live with the limitations of an LCD-only camera then you'll probably be quite satisfied with the F505V. If not then I suggest that you look at one of the other cameras that offers both an LCD and an optical viewfinder."

Thursday, October 12, 2000

"I see the FinePix 4900 Zoom as a very worthy competitor to other cameras in its price and resolution class, it's loaded with features and performance and takes great pictures. The Electronic Viewfinder is a double-edged sword. It does give you TTL viewing and plenty of "heads up" data in the viewfinder but it's not the same quality that you get with a true SLR. The overall operation of the 4900 Zoom is very robust. Shooting in the 2400x1800 mode the camera processes and stores the images so fast I often wondered if it had actually captured the image or not."

Wednesday, October 11, 2000

"With over 21 million Internet users in Japan (according to Nielson Ratings, March 2000), the need for rich media and dynamic imaging on Web sites is inherent," said Andy Okada, SOFTBANK E-COMMERCE CORP.'s senior vice president, business planning. "By adding iPIX -- the leader of dynamic imaging -- to our high-profile portfolio that includes leading companies such as CarPoint, VerticalNet, and SmartFirm, SOFTBANK E-COMMERCE CORP's investment will serve as a catalyst for bringing imaging solutions to Web sites and wireless devices throughout Japan."

• Capture and Processing of Immersive, 360-Degree Images
  
• Image Management and Hosting
  
• Distribution to the Web

"Japan represents an enormous opportunity with respect to wireless applications, digital imaging and the Internet," said Don Strickland, president of iPIX. "We're thrilled to receive not only backing from one of the world's most recognized names in Internet investing and properties, but endorsement of the critical importance of dynamic imaging to Internet businesses worldwide. A relationship with SOFTBANK E-COMMERCE CORP. will provide the foundation for a powerful presence in this exciting Japanese marketplace."

Tuesday, October 10, 2000

• Sony GPS (Global Positioning System) stick
  
• Sony Digital Zoom Mic stick
  
• Sony Picture Index stick
  
• Sony Memory Check stick
  
• Sony Multi Use Jog stick
  
• Sony Infostick
  
• Sony Finger-ID stick
  
• Sony Active Speaker stick
  
• Sony TV Tuner stick
  
• Sony FM Data Receiver stick
  
• Sony Digital Still Camera stick
  
• Sony Digital Camera Stick

"The D30 is a very complete, very satisfying camera to use, and time after time you'll load up images and (straight out of the camera) be amazed... Isn't this what photography is all about? As you can see, I like the EOS-D30. A lot.

Sure, there are things I'd like to see improved, the odd little niggle here and there, nothing that would change the photography experience itself. Value for money? Unbeatable (at the time of writing this review). I have no doubt that Canon will sell every single D30 they ever produce, the question is can they make enough of them?"

"The C2000 is a well constructed and lightweight battery charger that can be used on either 110VAC or from any 12VDC power source in a car, boat, etc. It is much faster than any of the regular chargers supplied with camcorders or still cameras and can be your "one does it all" charger for a camcorder as well as a still camera that uses AA type batteries. For the money this is a lot of charger and nobody knows batteries or chargers better than the Maha folks, they've been at it for a long time."

"The Lightning Pack 2000 is a very compact and fast charger that can be easily stowed in your camera bag by folding back the AC prongs. In fact, it makes a great holder for your second set of batteries when not in use as a charger. The Sanyo 1600mAh NiMH batteries are definitely 'heavy duty' cells that equal (or better) the Kodak 1600mAh NiMH at a lower cost."

• HP PhotoSmart C215 digital camera
• 1.3 megapixel 1/2.7" CCD image sensor. Produces JPEG images at resolutions of 1280 x 960 or 640 x 480 pixels.
  
• 6.68mm F2.8 all-glass fixed focal length lens equivalent to 43mm on a 35mm camera, with 5 elements. 2x digital interpolation.
  
• Optical viewfinder and 1.8" 61,600 pixel LCD display
  
• CompactFlash Type-I storage, 4MB card bundled
  
• Built-in flash
  
• ISO 100 rating
  
• Shutter speeds 1/760 to 1/3 second, automatically selected
  
• Apertures of f/2.8 or f/8, automatically selected
  
• TTL autofocusing, range of 60cm to infinity in normal mode, 10cm to infinity in macro mode
  
• Auto white balance
  
• 10 second self-timer
  
• USB connectivity compatible with both PC and Macintosh
  
• Available in mid-October at a price of US$199

• HP PhotoSmart C315 digital camera
  
• 2.11 megapixel 1/2.7" CCD image sensor. Produces JPEG images at resolutions of 1600 x 1200 or 640 x 480 pixels.
  
• 5.8mm F2.8 all-glass fixed focal length lens equivalent to 38mm on a 35mm camera, with 5 elements. 2.5x digital interpolation.
  
• Optical viewfinder and 1.8" 72,000 pixel LCD display
  
• CompactFlash Type-I storage, 8MB card bundled
  
• Built-in flash
  
• ISO 100 rating
  
• Shutter speeds 1/750 to 2 seconds, automatically selected
  
• Apertures of f/2.8, 3.9, 5.6 or 9.8, automatically selected
  
• TTL autofocusing, range of 30cm to infinity
  
• Auto white balance
  
• +/- 2.0EV exposure compensation in 0.5EV steps
  
• 10 second self-timer
  
• IrDA infrared connectivity compatible with JetSend printers
  
• USB connectivity compatible with both PC and Macintosh
  
• Available immediately at a price of US$299

Monday, October 9, 2000

"The Fuji Finepix 40i is an interesting concept camera for sure. I suppose sales will decide if another camera like this comes out. As a camera, it does a pretty good job, though I'd love to see an optical zoom on it. As an MP3 player, it's fine, but it's almost useless without a couple of large memory cards. It seems like Fuji cut a few corners to merge these two devices. What I'd like to see in the next version of this camera (if there is one) is a FinePix 4700 with the MP3 functionality, with a 128MB SmartMedia card! I can dream, right?"

"The Fuji FinePix 1300 is a good, entry-level camera for those wanting to try out digital photography. You won't get all the bells and whistles that you'll find on higher end cameras, but for everyday point-and-shoot action, the 1300 will do just fine."

Sunday, October 8, 2000

"The picture results (both on screen and on glossy photo paper) of the DC3800 compare very favourably to other 2 Megapixel cameras and the $499 price range. With the added bonus of having a very small, lightweight and simple to use camera that is more likely to be taken with you when ever you might want to capture some pictures, we think the DC3800 is a great choice for at least one of your digital camera solutions. Overall, the DC3800 at $499 and with everything you need to easily get into digital photography, is a very practical choice which we certainly can highly recommend."

• Olympus D-460 Zoom (1.3 megapixel, 3X Zoom)
  
• Kodak DC-4800 (3.34 megapixel, 3X Zoom)
  
• Nikon CoolPix 880 (3.34 megapixel, 2.5 Zoom)
  
• Sony Mavica MVC-CD1000 (2.1 megapixel, 10X Zoom)

Friday, October 6, 2000

Thursday, October 5, 2000

"The large amount of information our chips process directly translates into the highest-quality digital photos available today," said Akihiko Saito at MegaChips. "The high-resolution and outstanding image quality of Displaytech's microdisplays make them a natural choice to display these images. By manufacturing processing chips for Displaytech, we are offering our customers performance and image quality previously reserved for high-end film cameras."

"We need to offer our digital camera OEMs a display package that combines superior image quality with high-performance processing capabilities," said J.P. Valiulis, senior director of business development for Displaytech. "Working with MegaChips means we can offer our customers display performance suitable for professional studios, but at a price point in the range of the pocket camera market. This will allow manufacturers to design new concepts for the next generation of consumer digital cameras."

Wednesday, October 4, 2000

"[The] Coolpix 880 isn't much of a "baby brother" at all to the Coolpix 990 -- it's almost a twin. The major differences are: the lens, slower processing and less buffer memory, and no support for external flashes. The CP880 does have some tricks that the 990 doesn't, like scene and CSM modes. All in all, if you're looking for a camera with all the manual controls you desire, but don't want to break the bank, then the Coolpix 880 is for you! "

"We expect users to be extremely impressed with the extraordinary quality of PhotoChannel's prints. They're sharper, clearer, more vibrant, and delivered more quickly than other online photo print service," said Geoffrey G. Briant, Chairman and CEO of PhotoChannel Networks Inc. "Experts have estimated that by 2002, there will be more than 5.5 billion images uploaded to the Internet and still exposures will grow from 71 billion in 1997 to over 100 billion. PhotoChannel helps bring all photographers into the digital era through expanding and enhancing customers' enjoyment of photography by creating a synergy between film, digital imaging and the Internet."

• Free one-button batch uploads of digital photos
  
• Free, postage paid mailers available for 35mm, APS and single use disposable cameras.
  
• Free processing, scanning and uploading of all pictures on film.
  
• Free posting to a free, personalized PhotoChannel PhotoSite account.
  
• Free storage, albums and slide shows.
  
• Free, unlimited viewing, editing and photo sharing.
  
• Free "custom darkroom" for easy editing and enhancement of images including image cropping, special effects, red-eye removal as well as "digital" framing.
  
• Free online slide shows and photo albums for friends and family to view.
  
• Choice of images to print.
  
• Online store with a range of digital photography products.
  
• Photo prints and enlargements of the highest quality at competitive prices.
  
• Expanded editorial with new columns from photographers and industry experts.

"Traditionally, users of digital cameras had to memorize many different key sequences to operate different modes of the camera," said Eric Anderson, FlashPoint's chief technical officer and a named inventor on the patent. "The Digita user interface allows operating modes to be mapped against a global navigational device, making navigation through the camera's operational modes more intuitive."

"Usability is a critical factor in the success of any handheld technology," said FlashPoint president Stephen Saylor, also a named inventor. "FlashPoint's leadership in user-friendly design is well recognized by our licensees and the third-party developer community. This patent further demonstrates the innovation in the Digita OE method and contributes to FlashPoint's leading intellectual property position."

"The outstanding photo quality of the EPSON Stylus Photo 870 and 875DC has truly set a new standard for ink jet photo printing," said Fabia Ochoa, product manager, photographic reproduction printers, Epson. "With these products, home users and digital imaging hobbyists can get the best photo quality at a great value."

Tuesday, October 3, 2000

"The Kodak DC3200 digital camera will put digital picture-making into the hands of many more people this holiday season," said Philip Gerskovich, Kodak vice president, Digital & Applied Imaging. "It brings the most popular benefits of digital cameras - instant image viewing, simple operation and easy transfer - at a very affordable price point."

• 1.2 megapixel (1280 x 960 pixel) CCD image sensor gives JPEG files of 1152 x 864 or 576 x 432 pixels in Best, Better or Good compression. 1.0 megapixel effective rating.
  
• 5.4mm f/3.6 fixed focus lens equivalent to 39mm on a 35mm camera. Focus fixed for a range of 0.6 meters to infinity. Lens cap not included.
  
• Optical viewfinder and 1.6" LCD display
  
• 2MB of Internal memory and CompactFlash slot
  
• Built-in 3-mode flash with range 1.5 to 2.4 meters (automatic, fill, off)
  
• Serial conectivity
  
• Video out connectivity (NTSC only for USA, NTSC/PAL for Canada). Video out cable not included
  
• Automatic exposure control
  
• Auto and three-preset manual white balance (daylight, fluorescent, tungsten)
  
• Shutter speeds from 1/4 to 1/500 second
  
• Apertures of f/3.6, f/8
  
• ISO rating of 100
  
• DPOF (Digital Print Order Format) compliant
  
• Power from 4 AA Alkaline batteries (included) or 4 AA NiMH batteries and charger (optional)
  
• Dimensions of 113 x 81 x 53.4mm, weighs 215 grams without batteries
  
• Bundled with wrist strap, software CD, serial cable, 4 AA alkaline batteries, and documentation
  
• Optional accessories include AC adapter, NiMH batteries and charger, video-out cable, lens cap and camera bag
  
• Available immediately at a cost of US$249

Monday, October 2, 2000

• Sanyo iDshot ICD-1000Z digital camera
  
• 1/2" 1.5 megapixel RGBG interlaced CCD image sensor, 1.4 megapixel effective rating.
  
• JPEG and YCbCr TIFF format still images in resolutions of 1360 x 1024, 1024 x 768 and 640 x 480.
  
• 7-21mm 3x optical zoom lens equivalent to 38-114mm on a 35mm camera.F2.4 (wide) - 4.4 (Tele). Auto focus. Built-in ND filter(?). Focuses 60cm - infinity, or 3cm (wide) / 20cm (tele) - 60cm in macro mode.
  
• 110,000 pixel 1.8" low temperature polysilicon TFT LCD display and 0.55" LCD optical viewfinder with diopter adjustment
  
• Uses 730MB iD PHOTO disks for storage. Disks are rewriteable magneto-optical using CAD-MSR "magnetic super resolution technology" and laser pulse magnetic field modulation recording. Stores up to 260 TIFF, 1000 JPEG Fine, or 2000 JPEG Normal images at full resolution
  
• 4-pin IEEE 1394 (FireWire) and USB connectivity. Optional (¥15,000 / US$139) 'Personal Computer Connection Kit' PCK-1000 includes IEEE1394 and USB cables and image/video editing software.
  
• Video out (NTSC) and microphone in connectivity
  
• Built-in monaural microphone and speaker
  
• Built-in flash with auto, off, on and red-eye reduction settings. Guide number of 6.8. Flash sync 1/30 to 1/500 second.
  
• Program AE, Aperture Priority and Shutter Priority modes. +/- 1.5EV exposure compensation in 0.5EV steps. Center-weighted or spot metering
  
• Shutter speeds 1, 2, 3, 4, 8 & 16 - 1/500 second (normal), 1/15 - 1/2000 second (high speed), 1/30 - 1/2000 second (video).
  
• ISO ratings of 100, 200, 400 and Auto
  
• Auto white balance with manual override
  
• Burst-mode of 7.5 frames per second at 1360 x 1024 and 1024 x 768, 30 frames per second at 640 x 480
  
• QuickTime MotionJPEG-conforming MOV video clips at resolutions of 640 x 480, 320 x 200 and 160 x 120. Maximum length of video clip 8 minutes at 640 x 480 30fps, 20 minutes at 320 x 200 30fps, 60 minutes at 160 x 120 30fps. Double this at 15 fps for each resolution.
  
• 8-bit 8KHz Monaural PCM WAV format sound clips
  
• 10 second self-timer
  
• Dimensions of 92.8 x 88.3 x 139.3 millimeters. Weight of 525 grams without battery, 621 grams with battery.
  
• Power from UR-121 Lithium Ion battery or AC adapter/charger (included). Extra batteries cost ¥8500 / US$79 each.
  
• Bundled with iD PHOTO disk, Li-Ion battery, charger, remote control, lithium button battery, lens cap, hand/neck straps, and AV cable.

"With all the other digicams I've had to review in the last month (and that's a bunch) the one that I've had the most fun with is the Olympus C-2100UZ. This camera performs wonderfully under every kind of shooting environment from indoor flash to outdoor sports. It has the same zoom capabilities as Sony's FD95 or CD1000 but in a smaller, lighter and faster camera.

The 10x stabilized zoom is great, once you use it you'll wonder how you ever managed to get by with a 3x or even a 5x lens. The stabilization system allows handheld shots at full telephoto that are sharp and clear. It also lets you capture shots at much slower shutter speeds than you'd attempt with other cameras. If you like candid shots, you'll love the ability to shoot family and friends from half a block away. They'll never even know you were there. Switch it into macro mode and capture closeup shots of flowers and small things from five feet away, or get so close that the lens just about touches your subject."

"When you take the whole package and the fact that image quality is at least on par with the 990 (some colours are certainly more saturated) then it's easy to see why the G1 now looks like the choice digital camera for the prosumer looking for a 3 megapixel digital camera. Ok, so Canon are about 6 months late to market and we're all expecting new cameras at PMA next year but, just in time for Christmas. Canon's built an excellent prosumer digital camera and I'm sure it'll become first choice for many people."

AOL Alert: Several readers connecting via AOL have complained of poor image quality when using the AOL web browser. This is caused by a setting called "compress images" in the browser that causes it to completely mangle images in the interest of faster transmission. You should turn this setting OFF before viewing any of the comparison images on this site.

• FLASH: Thanks to reader Lynn Mannan, here's an explanation of how to make the correct settings adjustments (at least in AOL 4.0 for PCs):
  • I opened the "My AOL" preferences screen in the toolbar across the top. Then I clicked on WWW icon and selected the "web graphics" tab where I unchecked the "compressed graphics" choice and clicked on the Apply button at the bottom. Now the scanner test pictures are gorgeous. The pictures take a long time to load. But they are worth waiting for. Thank you, Lynn!